Norsk 101: Berry Season in Norway

Language Practice with Christie Ericson

Photo: Christie Ericson
Norwegian berries really are the best—sweet, ripe, and delicious!
(Norske bær er aller best—søte, modne og deilige!)

Berry Season in Norway (Bærsesong i Norge)

When I was a kid (Da jeg var barn) and lived in the bush in Alaska (og bodde i bushen i Alaska), I hated having to pick blueberries (hatet jeg å måtte plukke blåbær). At first it was fun (Til å begynne med var det gøy) to eat the small, wild berries (å spise de små, ville bærene), but after I had eaten my fill (men etter at jeg hadde spist meg mett), the berry picking became a boring chore (ble bærplukkingen en kjedelig oppgave). It seemed as if (Det føltes som om) I would never fill that bucket (jeg aldri ville klare å få spannet fullt)!

Now that I’m an adult (Nå som jeg er voksen), I can appreciate (kan jeg sette pris på) how special those wild berries are (hvor særegne skogsbær er), and I miss having the time (jeg savner å ha tid) to go berry picking (til å plukke bær).

In northern regions like (I nordlige regioner som) Norway and Alaska, fresh fruit can be expensive and hard to get (kan frisk frukt være dyr og vanskelig å få tak i), so many people look forward to berry season (så mange gleder seg til bærsesongen). Many types of berries (Mange bærarter) grow wild in Norway (vokser vilt i Norge) and are a good source of vitamin C and antioxidants (og inneholder mange c-vitaminer og antioksidanter).

Some berries can be grown in gardens and farms (Noen bær kan dyrkes i hager og på gårder), but many Norwegians prefer traveling to (men mange nordmenn foretrekker heller å reise til) their favorite berry picking spots (sine favorittsteder for å plukke bær) in the forests or mountains (i skog og fjell). In Norway, berry picking is a right for everyone (I Norge er bærplukking en allemannsrett), which means everyone has the right to pick berries (som betyr at alle har rett til å plukke bær), with some exceptions (med noen unntak).

Some berries that can be found in Norwary are (Noen bærtyper som vokser i Norge er): raspberries (bringebær), blueberries (blåbær), strawberries (jordbær), lingonberries (tyttebær), black currants (solbær), red currants (rips), crowberries (krekling/krøkebær), blackberries (bjørnebær), cloudberries (multer/molter/moltebær), and cherries (moreller/kirsebær). Fresh berries are often used to make jams, liqueurs, and sauces (Nyplukkede bær brukes ofte til å lage syltetøy, likører og sauser) or are simply served with cream (eller bare serveres med fløte eller pisket krem).

This article originally appeared in the August 24, 2018, issue of The Norwegian American. To subscribe, visit SUBSCRIBE or call us at (206) 784-4617.